Shell’s perspective on biodiversity

Impacts on biodiversity

The exploration and development of natural gas and oil reserves

requires the development of infrastructure such as well pads, roads,

pipelines and processing facilities in many remote and backcountry

areas as well as in and adjacent to protected areas.

These developments can have environmental impacts through habitat

degradation, runoff and erosion and an operational presence during

critical times of the year for wildlife populations. They can also open up

remote areas to additional human impact.

Shell’s approach to biodiversity conservation

Shell’s Business Principles include contributing to sustainable

development, which means helping to meet the world’s growing

energy needs in economically, environmentally and socially respon-

sible ways. This includes managing operations and supply chains in

ways that mitigate environmental impacts and create benefi ts in the

societies where it operates.

To meet this commitment Shell ensures its employees have the

expertise needed to carry out their jobs and build relationships with

customers, business partners, governments, academic institutions,

non-governmental organizations and neighbours.

In addition, Shell’s Health, Safety and Environment (HSE) Policy stipu-

lates protecting the environment and managing resources responsibly,

by promoting and implementing best practices in the industry. Shell

recognizes the value of biodiversity by:

working with others (e.g., local communities, researchers, •

non-government organizations and regulators) to maintain

ecosystems;

respecting protected areas (i.e., areas specifi cally dedicated to the •

protection and maintenance of biodiversity, and of natural and

associated cultural resources, managed through legal or other

eff ective means);

seeking partnerships to enable the Shell Group of companies to •

make a positive contribution towards the conservation of global

biodiversity.

Sustainable development

Contributing to sustainable development means consciously

balancing short and long-term interests by integrating economic,

environmental and social considerations into business decisions

and regularly engaging with stakeholders to understand issues and

develop appropriate mitigation. Shells approach to sustainable

development aff ects the choices it makes about its portfolio and

products and the way in which it operates.

Shell’s focus on sustainability includes producing cleaner-burning

natural gas, environmentally acceptable biofuels, and fuels that

improve fuel effi ciency and reduce emissions. It has also implemented

a series of requirements for integrating environmental, including

biodiversity, and social factors into the way it plans, designs and makes

investment decisions on major new projects. These provide local

employment, including for contractors and suppliers and exemplify

socially and environmentally responsible business practices

Shell Canada Southwest Shell Canada Southwest Alberta Montane research programAlberta Montane research program

Industry: Oil and gas

Duration: 2007 – 2013

Location: Southwest Alberta

Case study type: Research

Shell has been operating in Canada since 1911, and is now one of the country’s largest integrated oil and

gas companies. Headquartered in Calgary, Alberta, Shell Canada employs more than 8,200 people across

Canada and represented nearly a third of all global recruitment in 2008. Shell Canada holds approximately

30% of Royal Dutch Shell’s global resource base. A leading manufacturer, distributor and marketer of refi ned

petroleum products, Shell produces natural gas, natural gas liquids and bitumen, and is Canada’s largest

producer of sulphur. Shell is one of Canada’s largest oil sands developers.

To reduce environmental and social impacts at its operations, Shell

works to protect the health and safety of employees and neighbours,

reduce disruptions to the community, lower emissions and reduce

impacts on biodiversity by using less energy, water and other resources.

Partnerships

Shell has developed local, regional, national and global partnerships

to progress thinking on environmental issues. Global partnerships

have been created with the International Union for the Conservation

of Nature (IUCN) and Wetlands International to work together on

biodiversity conservation issues.

In 2008, the partnerships began research to fi nd the best ways

to conserve tundra ecosystems in the Arctic; to treat wetlands in

an environmentally sustainable manner along the fl ight paths of

migratory birds; and to reduce the impacts of growing biofuels on

biodiversity and local communities.

In 2008, it co-authored a report with the IUCN titled Building Biodiversity

Business, which describes the benefi ts for business of biodiversity

conservation. In 2009, Shell also signed a cooperative agreement with

The Nature Conservancy.

To follow and strengthen these standards, Shell partners with stake-

holders in projects such as the Southwest Alberta Montane Research

Program.

Case study: Southwest Alberta Montane research program

Rationale

Elk are an important wildlife resource in southern Alberta and an

essential element that helps maintain an ecosystem balance of this

area. Maintaining habitat and reducing disturbance during critical

periods is imperative to maintaining healthy and viable elk popula-

tions. Other species, including large carnivores such as wolves and

grizzly bears, also contribute to overall ecological health.

To ensure that industrial activities have minimal impact on the

ecosystem, Shell stepped forward as the major funder and partner of

the Southwest Alberta Montane Research Program. The purpose of the

Southwest Alberta Montane Research Program is to understand how

elk use the montane landscape during winter.

Description

Shell has been developing the gas reserves in the Castle / Waterton

region for 50 years. There are approximately 75 producing wells in the

Waterton gas fi eld and incorporating sustainable development into

activities is a key objective. Shell recognizes that creating new motor

access into undeveloped areas can have a signifi cant eff ect on wildlife.

Shell works with regulatory agencies and wildlife conservation groups

to reduce its environmental footprint, control public motor vehicle

access and to remediate and restore habitat eff ectiveness in the region.

The Castle area in southwest Alberta has a rich diversity of large wildlife

such as bighorn sheep, elk, mule deer, grizzly bears, black bears,

cougars, mountain goats, wolves and many other species.

Elk have both winter and summer habitat in the Castle region. Also, the

area is one of several corridors that grizzly bears and wolves, which are

closely linked to elk population dynamics through the predator-prey

relationship, use to move throughout the Rocky Mountains.

Maintaining habitat and reducing disturbance are critical to sustainable

elk herds in the province, and elk are part of the regulatory framework

along the east slopes of the Rockies. Though elk are the primary

focus of the study, a large database of information on other wildlife

species will be gathered and new management regimes initiated. Also

resulting from this study will be three Ph.D. and three M.Sc. theses, as

well as research from two post-doctoral students.

To date, over 100 elk have been fi tted with radio collars and their

movements are being tracked using Global Positioning Systems (GPS)

for the duration of the 7-year study (2007 – 2013).

By monitoring elk movements, information such as size of winter

range for cows and bulls can be further defi ned. Ongoing monitoring

also helps account for animals missing from previous surveys that

impacts the bull to cow ratio. Spatial information gained through the

monitoring program will help understand the accuracy and increase

value of these previous surveys.

Several additional research projects have been added that

complement the elk study. These involve radio-collaring grizzly bears

and investigating wolf depredation on livestock. These collaborative

projects are looking at the predator/prey relationship of elk/wolves;

livestock and wildlife diseases, and examining the eff ects of various

levels and types of human activity on the food chain, including an

evaluation of human access management as a strategy tool for the

recovery of grizzly bears.

Though data have yet to be analyzed comprehensively by the academic

partners in the program, preliminary results show that bull elk have

home ranges much greater than currently thought, and intermixing of

elk herds may provide important diversity in genetic makeup.

This Program is the largest elk project ever conducted in terms of

data analysis. Given the large elk population in the region – over

1,800 animals – and the importance of this species to the ecosystem,

the relationship between herbivores and predators will be an

important part of this program. Information collected in this region

may assist wildlife management agencies in understanding trophic

cascades, biodiversity restoration, and migration corridor use.

Communication

3,000 brochures printed and distributed.•

A dedicated website (• www.montaneelk.com).

General meetings twice a year to provide updates to government, •

research team members and local residents.

Several magazine articles, conference presentations and journal articles. •

In-house poster session and seminar for Shell staff . •

Short video for TV spot.•

Outcomes

Benefi ts

Economic

Having a sound understanding of the critical times and corridors of elk

movements, including when they arrive and leave specifi c habitats, will

allow Shell to manage their activities. Wells in this area require several

months to drill and cost several million dollars. Having a single timing

window for drilling helps reduce costs and results in a safer project

because drilling can be completed during a single time period with a

single drilling crew.

Biodiversity

New access created by Shell into sensitive areas will be blocked to

general vehicle use. Older access, seismic lines and other existing

trails will be re-vegetated to minimize human impacts. Shell has set a

goal of “no net increase in public motorized access” to work in parallel

with government land management agencies, local landowners and

environmental groups.

Shell Canada Southwest Alberta Montane research program

Lessons learned A successful, major project such as this requires the time and

commit ment of a multi-disciplinary team. During the course of planning

the project, and through its fi rst years of operations, several “keys to

success” have been identifi ed and supported. The following should be

taken into consideration before starting an undertaking like this:

Identify a corporate leader to look at the big picture and incorporate •

the research into project plans.

Identify a full time project manager to keep participants aligned and •

the project running smoothly and effi ciently.

Collaborate with user groups on philosophies, activities, and •

objectives.

Southwest Alberta Montane research program Shell Canada

Impact on company

Shell proactively takes steps to minimize environmental impact

related to its operations and to help protect wildlife. In the Castle

area it means working closely with Alberta Sustainable Resource

Development to address concerns about the environmental

eff ects of activities. The results of the study will help Shell time

its activities as to have minimum impact on the various wildlife

species that live in the area.

Contact informationTrevor Hindmarch

Environment Team Leader

403-691-3111 trevor.hindmarch@shell.com

Shell Canada

400 4th Avenue SW

Po Box 100, Station M

Calgary, Alberta T2P 2H5

Canada www.shell.ca